SQUAD

Ryan Bambury
Position: First Five Province: Otago
Height: 1.80m Weight: 85kg Birthdate: 17.09.82
Bambry is a player who didn't make any national age grade teams, but with hard work and good performances he has risen through the ranks. He played the 2004 season for North Otago and was one of their better players though out the season. That combined with a very good club season earned him elevation into the Otago NPC squad.  He is a steady first five with a good kicking game, and on his day he can be a very good goal kicker too. He will battle out the back up first five role with Callum Bruce, that should be a very interesting tussel.

Josh Blackie
Position: Flanker Province: Otago
Height: 1.91m Weight: 104kg Birthdate: 03.08.79
Over the last few seasons he has became a crucial member of Otago and Highlanders teams, he was a strong defensive game and one of the best running games of any openside flankers going around. But sadly he just lacks something when it comes to competition for the ball on the ground, it is this that is holding him back from higher honours. But he is sure to keep up giving 100% for every team that he is selected for at that's all that can be asked of him.

Andrew Blowers
Position: loose Forward Province: Auckland
Height: 1.93m Weight: 105kg Birthdate: 27.03.75
The old war horse is back! A lot is expected of Blowers down here, but not much is known.  He should be the starting no8 for the start of the season at least. His style should combine well with Blackie and Newby, they should play a fast combative style as a trio. The big question will be weather he can come up to speed with the quicker game of 'super' rugby since he has been playing in the NH for so long, only time will tell.

Ben Blair
Position: Fullback Province: Canterbury
Height: 1.74m Weight: 83kg Birthdate: 26.06.79
The Canterbury midget is back for his second season, he will have a good battle for the fullback jersey this season with the fit again Paul Williams. Blair had a good run for the Highlanders in 2005, but still had moments where his fragility under the high ball and his defensive problems still showed up. But his pace and knowledge of attacking lines are still a great asset to a back line that doesn't have much attacking strength.

Tim Boys
Position: Flanker Province: Otago
Height: 1.89m Weight: 98kg Birthdate: 19.02.84
Boys was one of the finds of the 2005 NPC, after being seen as surplus to requirements by the Otago selectors he was loaned down to Southland. His game is all about turnovers, support play and defence. At the moments he is a bit wiry but if he can put a few kilos on over the next couple of years then his body should hold up. At the moment he will be Josh Blackie's back up, and should get one or two starts this season, with regular bench time. But expect to see him take over from Blackie in the next couple of years. He could challenge for an All Black jersey in the next few years too.

Neil Brew
Position: Utility Back Province: Otago
Height: 1.86m Weight: 95kg Birthdate: 08.03.79
Brew as a winger, crap. Brew as a fullback, crap. Brew as a centre is quite talented, his lack of pace which hindered him in the outsides isn't an issue at centre. While he has a very good passing game and has the size to muscle it up through the middle. Expect Brew to have a very good season this year, and push to JAB level at least. If FAB Hamilton can do it, so can he!

Callum Bruce
Position: First Five Province: Otago
Height: 1.80m Weight: 91kg Birthdate: 09.06.83
Bruce was the best player on the field in last years internal trial, when he was a ring in and played in the wing. He then had a solid club season at centre, and now he is a super 14 playmaker. So he is an ultimate utility. He only had one NPC appearance and that was for about ten minutes against Northland, so Cooper is showing a lot of faith in Callum. So here's hoping he can repay him.

Jimmy Cowan
Position: Halfback Province: Southland
Height: 1.84m Weight: 92kg Birthdate: 06.03.82
Cowan must have been stoked when he heard that Lee was leaving for Hawke's Bay, he must have thought that he would finally get a long run in the Highlanders halfback jersey. But then Chris Smylie turned up and had a brilliant season for Otago. But the 2005 EOYT All Black should have first shot and if he can play well like we all know he can, then he should finally have a decent run as a starting halfback.

Villamoni Delasau
Position: Wing Province: Canterbury
Height: 1.92m Weight: 104kg Birthdate: 12.07.77
The Canterbury pot head is heading down, He is just the sort of winger that Cooper wants in that he is big, strong and fast. But he will probably spend most of the season on the bench or holding up tackle bags as Saunders and Kinikinilau seem like they will be the number one wingmen. But if he an get his chance here's hoping that he can bring some of those big rampaging runs to the ground that bought him to Canterbury's attention.

Clarke Dermody
Position: Prop Province: Southland
Height: 1.79m Weight: 112kg Birthdate: 23.10.69
The Southland captain is a typical Southland prop bread on meat, potatoes and turnips. He should finally get his chance as the Highlanders starting loosehead, since Carl Hoeft vacated it. Dermody is a very much underrated prop, his scrummaging is top class and his work around the field is unheard of for a big man. He was regularly hitting twenty plus tackles a game for Southland in the NPC. He has been mentioned by the All Black selectors but nothing more, here's hoping that this year could be his year to push right into their calculations.

Tom Donnelly
Position: Lock Province: Otago
Height: 2.00m Weight: 112kg Birthdate: 01.10.81
Big Tom had a stand out year last year, and only just missed out on the EOYT. His athleticism around the field was a real improvement, late in the season he had even developed a good charge down. His partnership with James Ryan had developed into one of the best locking combinations in both super rugby and the NPC.

Nick Evans
Position: First five Province: Otago
Height: 1.78m Weight: 84kg Birthdate: 14.08.80
In the NPC Evans finally managed to have an injury free run, and he directed the Otago team well enough around the park to take them to the NPC final. He was rewarded with a berth in the EOYT (thanks to a Luke McAlister injury). He played quite well in both the games he played, but did looks a little hesitant and was not willing to run and challenge the defensive line. But in the Super 14 expect to see him do this alot as he is the Highlanders key attacking weapon. His goal kicking has also improved an awful lot, he is now a consistent75% plus kicker and because of this there might not be the need to have Ben Blair in the starting team.

Carl Hayman
Position: Prop Province: Otago
Height: 1.93m Weight: 120kg Birthdate: 06.09.79
The best tighthead prop in the world, bar none. There was alot of talk that he got bettered by Andrew Sheridan at the test match at Twickenham, but the English media that thought that must have been watching a different test to most. As if Sheridan had the better of him he wouldn't have been pulled with twenty to go. Hayman is a rock that any team would love to have, he is the modern all round prop. He has a strong defensive game around the fringes, is the best lineout lifter around and is a true strongman come scrum time.

Chris King
Position: Prop Province: Otago
Height: 1.85m Weight: 112kg Birthdate: 30.04.81
Came down to the Highlanders as a draft player last year, didn't get much game time, but got convinced to make the move to Otago and the Highlanders a permanent one. He showed a great deal of improvement during the NPC and is now set for a good battle with Dermody for the starting loosehead jersey.

Roy Kinikinilau
Position: Wing Province: Wellington/unsigned for 2006
Height: 1.90m Weight: 107kgs Birthdate: 14.02.80
Kinikinilau signals a change in the Highlanders selectors policy when it comes to the wingmen. Gone are guys like Pedersen, and guys like Kinikinilau and Delasau are in. Kinikinilau should get the first chance to partner Saunders on the wing. Kinikinilau could prove a trump card for the Highlanders as our forwards are likely to give the backs front foot ball, and a big man like him with front foot ball coming from depth could be lethal.

Filipo Levi
Position: Lock/eightman Province: Otago
Height: 1.96m Weight: 116kg Birthdate: 06.09.79
The powers to be seem to want to convert Filipo into a number 8. He played all of his junior rugby and his club rugby at 8, and now that he is surplus to requirement as a starting lock it seems that the coaches want to find a position to play him in. If the experiment to convert him into a number 8 can work then Otago and the Highlanders have a real asset. But for this season at least expect to see Levi come off the bench a lot in the last twenty to create havoc.

Hoani MacDonald
Position: Lock Province: Southland
Height: 1.97m Weight: 112kgs Birthdate: 21.08.78
The big Southlander had another very good season, but because of the locking depth the Highlanders have at the moment MacDonald is facing a real up hill battle to get any game time. Not the tallest lock going around but it's almost like he has springs in his feet, he always manages to get up high enough to cause opposition trouble in the lineout.

Jason MacDonald
Position: Hooker Province: Otago
Height: 1.80m Weight: 106kgs Birthdate: 13.11.80
MacDonald filled in well for Oliver during the early rounds on the NPC and deserves the call up the the Highlanders. He has been around the NPC for quite a few years now, making his debut for Otago in 2000 he played a year in Wellington in 2003 before transferring back to Otago. He is an accurate lineout thrower who is always busy around the field.

Seilala Mapusua
Position: Midfield Province: Otago
Height: 1.80m Weight: 100kg Birthdate: 27.02.80
Mapusua has been playing very well for both Otago and the Highlanders over the last couple of season, this resulted in an All Black trial last year. In last years Super 12 he formed a very good partnership with Anthony Tuitavake, but sadly Tuitavake won't be returning this year. So he will have to link up with his Otago midfield partner in Neil Brew, which proved to be a very good partnership during the NPC. Mapusua is a very good at line busting in the middle of the park, he can also offload very well in traffic, he main down fall is his long passing game and his preference to go himself rather than pass to his outside men.

Craig Newby
Position: Flanker Province: Otago
Height: 1.90m Weight: 100kg Birthdate: 27.07.79
After leading Otago well during the NPC, this year will be the first year that he is a full Otago player, after playing for the Highlanders for a number of years, and a season as a loan Otago player, he is finally an Otago contracted player. It is doubtful that he will ever add to his two test caps. But he is crucial to the Highlanders as he acts as the glue. He won't be seen out in the back line making breaks or delivering the last pass in a long range try, but he is going to be in every ruck and maul, and to make a tackle when everyone else is out on their feet.

Hale T-Pole
Position: Flanker Province: Southland
Height: 1.85m Weight: 100kg Birthdate: 30.04.79
T-Pole missed most of the NPC with a serious leg injury, but the games he did play he was a real standout. One stood out in particular was Southland's game against the Lions where T-Pole single handedly kept Southland in the game with his strong running and bruising defence. He is a great player to have as either a bench player or squad back up as he proved during last years Super 12.

Anton Oliver
Position: Hooker Province: Otago
Height: 1.87m Weight: 115kg Birthdate: 09.05.75
The Highlanders heroic captain, Anton missed a lot of the 2005 season because of an injury he suffered in the later rounds of the super 12. When Anton left the pitch  it was season over for the Highlanders, as they didn't win another game. He then struggled with the leg injury for nearly three months, he then came back and helped Otago into the NPC final. He will again be a crucial if the Highlanders are to make a charge to the play offs.

James Ryan
Position: Lock Province: Otago
Height: 1.98m Weight: 110kgs Birthdate: 10.02.83
The big baked bean head made major strides in 2005, going from super 12 rookie to regular All Black. This season he will be looking to consolidate his position in the All Blacks and strive for a starting position. His biggest asset is his ability in the air, but he can't let the opposition bully him around which was happening in the later round of the NPC. He needs to get a bit of agro into his game.

Matt Saunders
Position: Wing Province: Otago
Height: 1.86m Weight: 95kgs Birthdate: 13.09.82
Made his Highlanders debut in 2004, and hasn't stopped improving since. He is a big strong winger who has a knack of being in the right place at the right time to score tries. He made his first class debut as a teenager for North Otago at centre, and this may be the year when he gets more chances in the number 13 jersey, when the selectors decide to rest Neil Brew. He has all the attributes to be a good centre as he is one of the more defensively sound wingers around and he isn't a ball hog.

Chris Smylie
Position: Halfback Province: Otago
Height: 1.79m Weight: 92kg Birthdate: 22.03.82
Another North Harbour reject making his mark down south, Smylie is a strong running halfback with an ever improving pass. He plays in a similar mould to Byron Kelleher, a real muscular battler, who is like lightning off the mark. His battle against Cowan for the starting halfback jersey will be one of the highlights of the season. He has the ability to make it to at least JAB level by the end of the super 14 if he plays as well as he did in the NPC.

Ben Smith
Position: Wing/centre Province: Otago
Height: 1.81m Weight: 90kg Birthdate: 20.06.83
The 2004 New Zealand colt now has two NPC seasons under his belt, one for Otago and one for Southland. His first NPC he was playing for Otago and it spent it out on the wing, he played quite well in a very poor team. Last year he was loaned to Southland he finished the season as one of their best backs, he started every game either on the wing or at centre. He has a good turn of speed and is one of the best defensive outside backs going around. He should get one or two starts at either centre or on the wing, with a bit of bench time.

Nick White
Position: Prop Province: Auckland
Height: 1.82m Weight: 114kgs Birthdate: 01.05.74
TheHighlanders had to find someone to fill the fourth prop quickly when the selectors found out that Jamie McIntosh would be unavailable for selection. So Nick White was called in, and has many seasons of Super rugby experience, so will fill the roll well.

Paul Williams
Position: Fullback Province: Auckland/unsigned for 2006
Height: 1.88m Weight: 98kg Birthdate: 22.04.83         
Williams was a star in his first super 12 season back in 2003, well until his horrific leg break against the Blues. A big strong player who has the ability to bust through the opposition with relative ease. Most will still remember his first super 12 game when Keith Lowen made a huge break and thought he would just run over the top of Williams. When he got to Williams, Williams simply picked him up and drove him 5m back with ease. If Williams can get back to the form he was in prior to the leg break then he will be a key member in the Highlanders. 

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